Tag: Philosophy

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Live life instead of just trying to survive


002 I look back on my life and see the days,weeks and years I wasted in depression, denial and in self-deception. How many times I lived my day to please others or longing for approval by my peers. Always looking for my happiness through those around me and ignoring if not neglecting the one person that can make me happy, “ME”. Others may be able to contribute to my happiness along with my unhappiness but the decision to be happy  is mine alone. The opinion of others can be a double edge sword for some will like you and others will either despise you or be jealous of you for some stupid reason or another. The only persons opinion you should care about when it comes to yourself is your own. If you do not like, love or appreciate yourself  then no one else will either.

All that time I wasted worrying about if I met the standards of those I cared about and if I was good enough to be where I was in life could have been spent trying to be the best version of the real me. If a person does not accept you for who you truly are then that person is not one that will ever accept you and you should move on. Being we all have both good and bad points to our personalities and that we all make mistakes along the way I can see no reason why we all can’t just accept each other as who we really are. Too many masks we have to wear in our daily lives to satisfy the many people we interact with. Shed the masks and be yourself, succeed and fail as the real you and refine your better qualities while trying to control the less needed ones.

By being your true self you may find that people will like you even more than before and those that don’t wont matter as much to you once you accept yourself as is. One thing I do believe is each and every one of us are unique and possess our own strengths if not special qualities. Figure out your strong points and find your unique abilities and use them to their fullest. Live life instead of just trying to survive, enjoy the simple things and avoid making life more complicated than it really is.

Well that’s just some of my thoughts for you to think about.

Peace be your guide and be yourself.

Raymond Barbier

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Ramblings of a Middle Aged Average Joe


007-2 Social Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, Earthquakes, Tsunamis and threat of an nuclear meltdown in Japan. Anchovies and sardines dying is the millions in a San Francisco harbor. The honey bee population dwindling and still no explanation as of why they are dying off. Something seems out of balance, change is coming to our world and it isn’t looking too good to me. Change is unavoidable and paying for our neglect / disrespect towards our home plant earth. Greed and lust for power outweighs the welfare of mother earth and those who live on it. The Select or Elite rule our world and care little about anything but their own gain while the masses stand by watching it all fall to pieces before them.

Violence is not the way for change though it is an unfortunate reality in our world. War and violence is a necessary evil at times to keep the balance in our world. Peace, love, understanding and cooperation are the best ways to enact change. Also Truth is a great igniter of change, for knowledge and truth are the building stones for a better world. The fact we all are responsible for this world we live in and we must find better ways to do so. Better ways to generate electricity and an alternative to Oil.

Oil, coal and natural gas will eventually become depleted and the pollution from their use will further damage our environment and also our economy. The world needs to wake up and see the wisdom in both renewable fuel sources and power sources like solar wind and hydro. Our children and grandchildren have to live in this world we leave them, so we should try to leave them with a Ecofriendly and wiser world. The fact that eventually oil sources will become scarce and depleted brings to light we need to have an alternative fuel source to avoid possible wars over the dwindling supply.

There is so much we need to change in the world and in the way we both view and live in it. It is going to take the effort of governments, businesses and the civilian  population to make the changes needed to get our world on the right track. There will have to be some sacrifices in the process but so many benefits will be found along the way. Nothing of great value is ever gained without hard work and sacrifice, Neither does any good deed done go without an award in the end. Even if our labor and sacrifices don’t bring forth fruit until several generations it will still be worth the effort.

The good thing about truth, love, peace, understanding and change is that they all can start in one person.  Just like one seed can grow a orchard if not a forest  , one persons voice can become a nations or even the worlds in time.

Well enough of my tree hugging ramblings for now.
Peace to all

Raymond Barbier

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Just some babbling about the self and happiness


014 I often have wondered what is the secret to a happy life and for the most part the answers seemed to change with each situation I experienced during the course of my life. So needles to say the answers I thought were correct were just reflections or shadows of the true secret. The real question is if there is a secret to living a happy life or not. Obviously no one can be happy 100% of the time and I am not even sure that only one secret or answer could be found to the question.  The main thing I have learned is one must let go of the prioritization of the self and its desires. The self is the most time and resource consuming part of being a sentient being. Since the self must exist in order for one to be self aware / sentient then we must learn to restrain its ever present demanding voice.

The tendency for humans to be selfish and self centered is basically a natural part of our psyche and though it can not be totally avoided it can be muffled or muted. Therefore Discipline of the mind is also one of the secrets of a happy life, for without mental discipline the self would become center of all and selfishness would be the main controlling factor in our daily lives. To sustain the self and to take care of its needs is something we must do, but to fulfill its wants and desires is something we can all together control or avoid. The self  usually is like a little child who is spoiled and gets all he or she wants with no restriction. In a disciplined mind the self learns that not all it wants will be fulfilled and that there is higher priorities that must be focused on.

Having concern for the welfare of others seems to be somewhat instinctual to most humans though I have noticed a few people who seem to have no concern for others. This is probably because they allow the self to take high priority to the point of selfishness and become apathetic to the concerns of things that are not of any benefit to themselves. For most of us though the welfare of others usually plays at least a small part in our lives if not a major one. Being social creatures that seem to group up to survive and thrive makes the welfare of others a necessity in maintaining the group.

Maybe a lot of the problem in modern society is that not everyone has a social place, there is a lot of people who are just transient social outcasts. People that are either not accepted by the social circles of modern society or who never could find where they belong. Without purpose socially they seem to either become a social ostrich or turtle by hiding their head in the sand and or retracting into their protective shell. This makes them feel unwanted or unneeded so they float from one social circle to the other having no purpose or destination.

So I guess the secret to happiness is to find your place in society and be needed as well as being satisfied with what blessing you have. To care for others and put the self second to the more important things of life. Maybe there really isn’t no real secret or just one formula to happiness, maybe the secret is to find your own path to walk.

Well enough of my truly random thoughts and babbling

Peace

Raymond Barbier

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Choose your own path to follow


Norman Rockwell Mosaic "The Golden Rule&...
Image by United Nations Photo via Flickr

You have only one life to live in this time and in this space.
What you say and do is what counts in the life we face.
Trials of our heart and tests of our will we must face along the path we chose.
We must be true to ourselves and reap our rewards as well as pay our dues.
We are responsible for our own lives and those lives we have influenced along the way.
Life as short as it is we must make the most of each moment and always seize the day.
Follow the golden rule and treat others with kindness and respect the rights of others.
Regardless of ones race, religion and nationality we all are spiritual sisters and brothers.
Cast off your fear and embrace the truth that is within your heart as well as your mind.
Open your eyes to the world that is around you and you might be surprised what you may find.
Awaken from the deep sleep your mind and heart is in to live life to the fullest everyday.
Be who you truly are and walk a path of understanding and embrace the truth in every way.
Choose your own path to follow and be the person you want to be.
Know thyself and be true to your feelings and let your mind be free.

ok, enough babbling for now
Peace, Raymond Barbier

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One person could start a change in the world


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Most people would like to change the world in one way or another. The only way to enact change on a large scale one must start with their own selves and start a chain reaction.To change the world we live in is really to change the opinions and beliefs of those who live in it. How can one person get everyone to change their opinions and beliefs? Well One person is all it takes to start a chain reaction of change, look at the 60’s in America how just a few spawned the hippie movement. Look how cults form under the ideas of one person and grow to become large communities such as Waco Texas and the Jim Jones  following. Though these may be negative examples of change , they prove that just one or a few can influence the many.

In a Technological information age as ours the power of one voice can influence a world of people in just seconds if not minutes. Television, Radio and internet are great tools to educate and get your message out to the public. Through these mediums you can either influence others for the good or the bad. Even with such great tools at ones fingertips you must be a leader and be one who leads by example to get others to acknowledge your ideas and philosophy. So start the change in yourself, show others the results and live by your philosophies / beliefs. As the old saying goes the proof is in the pudding, if you cant live by what you preach no one will believe or accept your ideals.

I mean would you follow a man who preaches love and peace while he murders people in the name of his philosophy or religion? Or would you stay at a church where its preacher who breaks every commandment while proclaiming he is either pure or innocent? I wouldn’t follow or believe in either of them, if you can not live by your beliefs and try to follow the rules of your philosophy then why should anyone else. This of course is not saying any preacher or leader will never fall or fail at times for we are all human and prone to make mistakes. With ones actions and freewill is a price we all must pay. The price is responsibility of our own actions and or choices we make. Even the words we speak are our responsibility, for if you mislead someone to their harm or to their disgrace you are responsible for that harm or disgrace.

So one person could start a change in the world and the world could change by the actions and words of one person. One person can change themselves and by doing so influence the change in others around them.

Enough of my Babble and Ramble Thoughts.

Peace and Wisdom be the Prize you seek
Raymond Barbier.

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Honesty, Definitely a virtue we need.


Annual Honesty
Image via Wikipedia

Honesty, Definitely a virtue which we need more of. Honesty is the best policy, even if there are things you think best untold. To live in truth and not in illusion is the way in which one is to truly live.

To be dishonest is to mark your own soul and to destroy a part of both the dishonest and the one being deceived. We are responsible for every action, thought and word we have in our lifetime. Everything we do, think and or say effects not only ourselves but those around us. Sometimes our actions, thoughts and words effects can travel great distances to effect even those we do not know.

Be careful of what you do,think and say for it will effect you and others in one way or another.

Well enough Babbling for now
Peace to all
R. Barbier

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Get through each day


Illustration depicting thought.
Image via Wikipedia

Just Passing on a Email from a friend I thought everyone would enjoy.

Original Author M. Barr

Okay I decided to pass along a few secrets I have discovered that help me get through each day.

  1. Wake up.
  2. Find something to smile about. To this end. I do what Paul (New Testament) says. If there is anything noble anything good anything of good report, dwell upon these things. I find it simple to just remember things I have enjoyed doing in my life and think upon them.
  3. Whatever is in your mind is what you will focus on. Whatever you think about will reflect in your attitude. If you find yourself hung up on a thought that upsets you or brings you down. Try listening to music that is up beat and singing along with the song. This one is important. Its takes effort but the reward is simply a better attitude. With your every thought you create the world as you believe it to be.
  4. Stop comparing yourself to others. What you will find is that there are those below you and those above you. Do not look down on anyone and try not to envy those that have more material things than you. All you really need is in you at this very moment. So many people are looking for happiness when it is as simple as believing you’re happy and you ARE.
  5. Find something you enjoy and do it!
  6. Forgive the world and move on. Stop looking for negative things to justify your negative mood. Get over it. Forgive the event and make peace with yourself about whatever it is and pick up the pieces and carry on. Stop carrying around that piece of shit baggage and put it down. Put it down right now and every time you pick it up gently remind yourself to let it go.
  7. I find myself meditating 70% of the day. Meditating is simply thinking upon a thing. Sometimes I think about nothing at all. Just content to be in the moment. After all is said and done the moment is all there really is, the past and the future are untouchable but can be accessed through thought.
  8. Relax take a deep breathe and laugh.

 

Pug

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Looking Backward, Looking at Today


Sundial with the motto "Carpe Diem",...
Image via Wikipedia

 Looking backwards and longing for the days of youth, forgetting the best time of our lives is here and now. Age does not only take from us the vitality of youth but brings us wisdom and the greatness of experience. So I may not look as young and as good as i did 20 years ago, I still am here and can enjoy life. The superficial things that I have supposedly lost were nothing to me when i had them so they remain nothing to me now as they fade away.

Fortunate for me I was never the Hunk or Stud in my youth, I was just the average Joe who muddled through his teen years in a confused and lonely state of mind. Still confused in my middle age and sometimes still deal with loneliness but only when I allow the illusion to blind me from the love around me. I may not have all I dreamed of having but I do have all I need. The only regret I have is the loss of friends through the years from moving and from their passing on. Friendship is something I value and see as one of the many keys to happiness.

The greatest gift of growing old to me is that I do not worry about others peoples opinions of me as much as I used to. I worry more about my self image more than the image others perceive me as. I still care about other peoples feelings and well being as much if not more now as I approach my mid 40’s. Seems to me what I do affects all those around me, so I try to make sure what I do and say is either neutral or positive if all possible.

Music still is the driving force behind me and my life, I may never have made it into a band or the music industry per se but I still love a wide selection of musical genres and do not limit myself to the POP Genres. I will listen to about any type of music that comes my way. Without music I feel my life would be without any type of fun or direction. Babbling on I am in this post, seems my mind once again is in its transient stage. Ever wandering and pondering on thought after thought. Like a blender full of ideas and dreams spinning round and round, Churning and mixing while spitting out bits of one thing or another. This I guess is another part of growing old, your mind starts to become fuddled and chaotic at times and then it goes on vacation permanently.

Looking at today and forgetting what yesterday was while knowing the future will bring what it pleases regardless of my plans and wishes. Carpe Diem, seize the moment as the old phrase goes. Live for today and enjoy it before it becomes yet another forgotten yesterday. Remember the past but live in it not, It served us well when it was a today and reminds us of what to and not to do but that is all it is for now that today is here.

Peace and Prosperity to All
Raymond Barbier

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